Looking Back at 2008

So 2008 is not quite over. However, for inherIT, things are winding down as we approach Christmas and the summer holidays. I'd like to thank those who have been involved (directly or indirectly) and wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year. This year, we've embarked on a journey and though the steps we've taken are small, we're headed towards our goals with hope and enthusiasm.

inherIT, was established with the following aims:

• Increasing the participation of women as users and developers of technology
• Providing skills training for women in order to facilitate improved opportunities
• Leveraging technology to foster community development and social integration

We've made some important strides and we hope this post provides you with a brief overview of what we've achieved to date and where we're headed in the future.

Our efforts this year have been channeled towards the development and delivery of a basic computer skills course tailored for women. We've successfully delivered courses to a number of different groups and improved the course content to cater to people with varying literacy levels.

Here are some of the important milestones we passed as 2008 unfolded...

Jul 10 : inherIT was established with the aim of encouraging women to leverage technology to broaden their opportunities.
Jul 31 - Sep 19: We conducted our first computer skills course at the Sydwest Multicultural Services Inc.(SMSI) for a migrant group.
Oct 16 - Dec 4: As a result of continued interest and demand, we conducted our second course at the SMSI for a migrant group.
Oct 24 - Nov 21: We conducted our first outreach course in conjunction with SMSI for a Liberian women's group at Mount Druitt in western Sydney.
Oct 27 - Nov 18: For the first time, inherIT conducted its own 4 week course with 8 classes and 12 contact hours. This class catered exclusively to women and was well attended.
Nov 13: We initiated a course for the Darfuri women's group at SMSI.

And the numbers that go with them...

Courses Delivered: 5
Total Classes: 33
Contact Hours: 60.5
Total Students: 53
Regular Students (>66% attendance): 21

And how it's been facilitated...

Estimated* value of services provided in Australian Dollars
Investments & expenses (Laptops, printing, misc.): $1,941.99
SMSI** contribution (Space, computers, printing): $734.00
inherIT teaching services: $1,712.50
Total: $4388.49

* Refer to our Organisational Statistics page for detailed information
** Sydwest Multicultural Services Inc.

As we roll into the next year, here's our "to do list":

Operations & Service Delivery

• Set up a weekly centre to provide women with the opportunity to attend classes and practise regularly.
• Establish a system/process by which students can be trained to take on teaching responsibilities.
• Explore opportunities to deliver our classes in additional locations in western Sydney.

Organisational Development

• Research and develop industry and government contacts to explore avenues for future partnerships and funding opportunities.
• Establish a set of long term options and put together a strategic plan.
• Set up a non-profit structure and board.
  

Course & Content Development

• Improve our current course material to incorporate the use of visual tools.
• Encourage students to participate in community projects aimed at helping them use newly acquired skills.
  
  

And last but not least, a few acknowledgements...

Sydwest Multicultural Services Inc.: SMSI and the lovely staff who work there have been pivotal to our development, and we are immensely thankful for their continued support.
SAIL (Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning Program): SAIL has been instrumental in helping inherIT reach out to its target audience.
Saritha Manickam & Nirupama Ramachandran: For their support and contribution to course development.
Vivek Nityananda: For his logos and hard work.
James Haggerty: For his time and effort with technical questions and putting together a few neat things.